


Grande Chai Tea Latte

by TinyValiance



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Coffee Shop Related Analogies, Happy Ending, Jealous Jongin, Jealousy, M/M, Miscommunication, Zhang Yixing is Perfect, cute ppl are lame in this fic so beware, i owe this whole fic to yixing actually. i love him., it is also a plot device sorry yixing, little does he know kyungsoo is only TAKEN WITH JONGIN oh the romance, the title is named after yixing yes, there is no cheating!! jongin just thinks kyungsoo is taken, yixing has a little language barrier and it is cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-12
Updated: 2016-12-12
Packaged: 2018-09-08 02:26:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8826778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TinyValiance/pseuds/TinyValiance
Summary: "The next day, Kyungsoo walked in again. Jongin found his eyes quite easily, and his lips pulled into a smile. Kyungsoo mirrored the expression. Jongin fell in love for the first time all over again.
Another boy walked into the coffee shop just after Kyungsoo did. 'Hey, Soo,' he murmured, then forcefully clapped his hand down on Kyungsoo’s ass." Or, the one where Jongin is a barista, and he thinks Kyungsoo is dating the ethereal piece of ass he brings with him to the coffee shop.





	

**Author's Note:**

> ♥ PLEASE READ! THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!♥
> 
> 1\. I want to make it clear that these people in the story are just characters based on real people. This is my interpretation of them. My writing does not reflect on any real people involved in this story. Please do not repost this story anywhere or post a link to this story anywhere. Tumblr is the only exception. I do not want it on Twitter, Instagram, or anywhere a member of EXO or any other kpop star in this story can see it (if they see it on Tumblr, then whatever, Tumblr feels more private). Do not send this story to them. Please keep this story safe here! Respect their privacy and mine.
> 
> 2\. I am not perfect, I want to improve! If I got any of the Korean wrong in this story, or you think I could do something better in terms of characterization, grammar and wording (etc), please tell me. I love all feedback. Also, for some reason I used a lot of outright narration in this fic?? I try to avoid that, but I had trouble with this fic because I had to clarify misunderstandings for the reader. Let me know if you have any tips for improving the narrative voice.
> 
> 3\. Please comment! Like I said, I love all feedback. Tell me your favourite parts, if you want a sequel, anything. I hope you enjoy the story, and take care. xo

Working in a locally famous café had its perks. It was a more intimate setting than a chain coffee shop, so Jongin felt better getting close to the staff members, including his manager, Minseok. His coworkers were all cool, and many of them went to the local Arts University, so it was easy to be friends with them. They had many regulars, but still got so many fresh and friendly faces coming in. Jongin was granted many opportunities to flirt with the cute male population. He felt comfortable on the job.

When Do Kyungsoo walked in, however, Jongin floundered like a shy schoolboy. _Whatta man_ that Do Kyungsoo was.  Jongin got all flustered as soon as they locked eyes – he swore it was a scene right out of a drama. Kyungsoo’s eyes widened, as if startled, and he promptly looked down at his hands. He hoped they would talk. Jongin would try to get them to talk.

It was about time they met each other alone. Jongin had been crushing on the boy for at least the past year. They went to the same school, casually saying hello in the halls, library, and at parties, and they had a few mutual friends, but they never talked more than that. Alas, regardless of how he had longed for this moment, Jongin quickly realized he was woefully unprepared for it. He shuffled on his feet, smoothed his hands on his apron, and his lips trembled before they could form coherent words.

“Can I – can I help you? With something? Can I get something for you?”

At the sound of Jongin’s babbling, Kyungsoo looked up. He coolly raised his eyebrows. “I can see you really want to, so sure, why not?”

Damn it, Kyungsoo was slick. That cute little shy act was probably all a façade to lure unsuspecting tops into his trap. Well, Jongin could be versatile. He just had to get himself together. “I mean, I’m not too busy right now.” _Nicely done,_ he mentally congratulated himself. A smirk crossed his lips. “So, coffee?”

Kyungsoo blinked and straightened his back. “Uh, yeah, just a regular coffee with milk, medium,” he ordered, then looked back down.

Jongin nodded and rang him up. “Is this your first time here?” Jongin asked.

Kyungsoo hesitantly looked back up and shook his head. “No, but I’ve never seen you here before.”

“I’m only part-time,” he said. “You know how college is.”

Kyungsoo nodded. “We go to the same one, right?”

Jongin nodded. He hoped Kyungsoo was just playing coy. They only talked casually at parties, so the actual name of their school did not come up much, but come on, that was pretty basic. “Different majors, I think, but I take music courses too.”

“Yeah, I think I’ve seen you around.”

“Yeah, I’ve definitely seen you around.”

Kyungsoo idled, then his lips slowly pulled into a matching smirk. Jongin held eye contact for a solid ten seconds before Krystal coughed behind him, startling him out of his reverie. Kyungsoo looked down again, smirk remaining. Jongin’s cheeks darkened as he took Kyungsoo’s money off the counter and counted his change.

“I’ll make the drink,” Krystal said, reading the order. “You seem distracted. Don’t want Minseok coming down on our asses just because you want some cute boy coming down on your ass, if you know what I’m sayin’.”

Krystal wiggled her shoulders at him and Jongin shoved her with a short laugh. Working at this coffee shop had its perks and downsides, and his barista squad fell in the middle of that Venn diagram.

Jongin took more orders, but Krystal was right about him being too distracted to make drinks, because he was searching for Kyungsoo more often than he was focusing on the customer at the register. Sometime later, when Kyungsoo got his drink, he approached Jongin again. He asked when Jongin was working, and Jongin gave him a rough idea of his schedule. Kyungsoo nodded, and vaguely said they should get to know each other better, what with their mutual interests and friends. Jongin agreed that sounded cool. Kyungsoo left with a wave, and Jongin sent him off with a wink.

After that, Jongin took his break in the backroom to scream. Baekhyun was not sure why Jongin was screaming, but after hearing something about a cute boy, he was mindlessly cheering along with him.

-♡-

Kyungsoo plopped down on his bed. He had walked all the way home, but his heart was not racing due to exercise. No, alas, Kyungsoo could not stop thinking about Kim Jongin. It had been a little while since he first met Jongin, and since then, he always thought the younger boy was adorable. That made it really difficult to hold a conversation – Kyungsoo got too shy. As they talked more, however briefly, Kyungsoo found himself developing a crush. It had been really nice to see Jongin again.

He could also not stop thinking about what an _idiot_ he had been. He could barely look at the boy at first, because to Kyungsoo, looking at cute boys was like looking at the sun. Then he had to go be rude to him, making fun of Jongin’s shyness, and then he just went back to being awkward. Jongin was a rich, decadent, caramel coffee cake, and he probably thought Kyungsoo was a stale bun. Kyungsoo could never read another coffee shop au again; the romantic context was overwritten with tragedy in his heart.

Chanyeol was in the kitchen making something that smelled of eggs and frosting, and Jongdae lounged on Kyungsoo’s mini-couch. Zitao was Kyungsoo’s only roommate, but at this point, he did not question how or why his friends were in his home. It was his own fault for drunkenly sharing the code.

“Hey,” Jongdae greeted without looking up from his phone.

“Hey,” Kyungsoo said back. He folded his hands in his lap. “Do either of you guys know Kim Jongin?”

That caught Jongdae’s attention, and he shot Kyungsoo a look over his phone. “Uhh, I see him around. We have mutual friends – who are they again?”

“Uhhhhhh,” Chanyeol droned, thinking aloud. “Uhhhh… ahHHH!” his voice indicated a breakthrough. “Taemin is his best friend.”

“Ah, yes, Taemin,” Jongdae confirmed.

Chanyeol continued, “Yifan knows Minseok and Minseok is his boss, and Luhan knows Yifan, Yixing, and Zitao, and I think Junmyeon knows Minho and Kibum, who are Taemin’s friends… I am almost sure Amber and Sunyoung fall into this somewhere. And Jonghyun…”

“That’s enough, thanks,” Kyungsoo said. Lots of people networked, he got it. “Have either of you met Jongin?”

“Do either of us look like we can land a _pas de ciseaux_?” Jongdae deadpanned. That was true; Kyungsoo should have figured they had little common ground. At least Jongdae had grace. Last week Chanyeol turned around too quickly, tripped over his ankles, and hit the floor so hard he bruised his whole forearm. “He doesn’t do enough vocal for us to know him. We take different courses for our major.”

“I met him at a party!” Chanyeol said. “We hang out. Baekhyun knows him well.”

“Why do you ask, Kyungsoo-yah?” Jongdae asked.

Kyungsoo shrugged. “I met him today at the coffee shop.”

“You’ve never been to the coffee shop?” Chanyeol questioned. “He’s there a lot. He works there.”

“I figured that out on my own, actually,” Kyungsoo said, and Jongdae snorted a laugh. Kyungsoo shrugged, “I have a coffeemaker here. I don’t need anything special. I guess I only feel fancy when he isn’t working.”

Jongdae snickered. “Why do I suspect that you’re going to _feel fancy_ more often now?”

Because Jongdae was a little shit, that’s why, but a clever little shit. Kyungsoo sent the frog-man a bitchface. Jongdae shook his head with a smile and returned to his phone.

“Ah! No!” Chanyeol quickly turned off the heat and wiggled the pan to shift his Kitchen Nightmare of the day. “My jelly donut!”

One might take it as a lesson when they are banned from the kitchen of their own goshiwon. Chanyeol did not. He just sought out a new kitchen to make food in, and unfortunately, Kyungsoo lived closest to him. It was not that Chanyeol was a horrible cook – he had basic skills, he was just a little too… adventurous. “Your – why is that in a pan?” Kyungsoo demanded.

“Aren’t you supposed to fry donuts?”

Kyungsoo just gave Jongdae a long-suffering look. Jongdae returned the look without even having to make eye contact. It was more about the mutual rapport.

-♡-

The next day, Kyungsoo walked in again. Jongin found his eyes quite easily, and his lips pulled into a smile. Kyungsoo mirrored the expression. Jongin fell in love for the first time all over again.

Another boy walked into the coffee shop just after Kyungsoo did. “Hey, Soo,” he murmured, then forcefully clapped his hand down on Kyungsoo’s ass, grabbing a fistful of cheek in his palm. Jongin was too shocked to take his eyes off the scene. He felt like he was witnessing a sexy, sexy car crash. He just stared with his mouth agape.

Kyungsoo stepped away and fixed his… friend (??) with a harsh glare. “Yah!” he scolded, “I told you not to do that in public.”

In _public_? So that was okay at home? Jongin pouted. The boy just blankly stared at Kyungsoo through half-lidded eyes. He did not seem to process Kyungsoo’s words. Honestly, Jongin would be surprised if the boy even knew where he was.

Kyungsoo shook his head and turned to face Jongin. Jongin quickly averted his gaze. “Sorry,” Kyungsoo apologized. “This is my friend Yixing, he has trouble with boundaries. He’s actually a dance major too. You are a dance major, right?”

Jongin’s heart fluttered – Kyungsoo remembered his major. Jongin nodded. “I haven’t seen him in class,” Jongin commented, trying to keep his dislike for the boy out of his professional tone. He had seen Yixing around the school, but not in dance class specifically.

“Evening!” Yixing said, smiling as though he was proud of himself. “You do not see me in the morning, I am in the evening.”

Jongin raised an eyebrow. Was that… Korean? The weak grammar and pronunciation made it hard for him to tell. Luckily, Kyungsoo spoke Yixingese. “He’s in the evening class,” Kyungsoo translated. Jongin ‘ohhh’d and nodded. “Plus, he’s a ’91 liner, so you’re probably in different programs.”

Yixing continued smiling and nodded as well. “Sit,” Kyungsoo instructed, and Yixing followed the order like an obedient dog. Jongin half expected him to plop down right there on the floor, but he was at least competent enough to sit at a vacant table. He peacefully folded his hands and looked out the window. And damn it, Jongin felt his heart melt at the sight; he always had a major soft spot for dogs.

“Um,” Kyungsoo’s impatient voice caught Jongin’s attention, “do you see something you like over there?”

Jongin quickly looked to Kyungsoo. His eyes were wide, eyebrows raised, and heart-shaped lips pouted. Jongin knew he was annoyed, but he just looked adorable. Jongin’s heart fell when he deduced that Kyungsoo was probably jealous, because Yixing was _his_ man, not Jongin’s to be gawking at.

“No.” Jongin quickly corrected himself, “I mean, Yixing seems nice, but I’m not interested.” Jongin had to be strong for the sake of the coffee shop – it would be unprofessional to lose business over his hopeless crush. Minseok deserved better than that. Kyungsoo, thankfully, looked satisfied with that answer.

Jongin took Kyungsoo’s order. He buried the bittersweet fondness that panged in his chest when Kyungsoo gave Yixing’s coffee order; he delivered it without hesitation. They had to be close if Kyungsoo knew his order that well, especially since Jongin had not seen Yixing around before today. It’s not like they did this often, not in this coffee shop anyway. Kyungsoo’s confidence implied familiarity, as if they did this all the time. Jongin wished he could be the one memorizing Kyungsoo’s order.

That struck him with another thought – did Yixing even know Kyungsoo’s order? More thoughts subsequently followed. Was the familiarity one-sided? Kyungsoo ordered a different drink than last time, is that why Yixing did not order for him? Was Kyungsoo a man who liked to shake things up? Was Yixing, who ambled around like he was sleepwalking, robust enough to handle him? Did Yixing appreciate who he had? Jongin was unsettled by his lack of knowledge. As far as he was concerned, he could treat Kyungsoo better.

He was smarting too hard to operate the coffee machine. “Krys—”

“Already on it,” Krystal said. She had already completed Kyungsoo’s order and slid the finished product across the work counter. She gave Jongin a sympathetic look and nodded her head in Yixing’s direction. “That’s rough, buddy.”

Jongin pouted and grumbled before returning to the cash register to take more orders. He plastered on his best I Am Made Of Nothing But Sunshine And Customer Service Smile. Fake it ‘till you make it.

After ringing up an order for a green tea, Jongin got back to work. Krystal offered to make it, but Jongin insisted he was alright. It was not too complex. Krystal left him to it. “Hey,” she said offhandedly, “do you know Zhang Yixing at all?”

Jongin looked over to where the boy sat with Kyungsoo, then looked back. He shook his head and shrugged. “I’ve seen him around. Why?”

Krystal shook her head and shrugged as Jongin had. “I dunno, I’ve met him a few times, and he kind of seems… like, _asleep_ ninety percent of the time. Is he okay?”

Jongin snorted. He did not judge based on looks, but behaviour was fair game. “Maybe he doesn’t have a lot in his head.”

It was a little rude, but fair, and judging by Krystal’s expression, she agreed. After that she went back to work, and so did Jongin.

He looked over at the two boys periodically, and he regretted it every time. Yixing was smiling and batting his eyelashes, Kyungsoo was giggling and shoving him. They were flirting like two happy lovebirds, free from their cage, pecking at Jongin’s heart with their lovingness. It made him feel sick. He made a resolute decision to stop looking and spare himself the agony.

-♡-

Kyungsoo had asked Yixing to accompany him to the coffee shop. Yixing spent so much time practicing, Kyungsoo needed to get him out of the studio. The change of scenery would be good for him, and it would be good for Yixing to hear and speak Korean. Due to his workaholic lifestyle and Chinese friends in their social circle, he was lacking the language practice he needed to improve. Plus, there was no way in hell he would bring Jongdae or Chanyeol. He would not even humour the idea of inviting Zitao, either. Baekhyun worked there, so letting him loose in the establishment was risky – he was comfortable, which meant he would do something stupid. Yixing was ideal company (despite the butt thing).

“Here you go,” Kyungsoo said, sliding Yixing his cappuccino. “You wanted a shot of vanilla, right?”

It took Yixing a moment, but he nodded. “Ah, yes, cappuccino with vanilla. Thank you.”

Thank goodness Kyungsoo got it right. They had discussed Yixing’s preferences in depth before they even thought about going to the coffee shop, and Kyungsoo made Yixing state his order at least twenty times on the way over. Kyungsoo even pulled up a Starbucks menu on his phone to translate the basic options to Chinese and back so Yixing could communicate his order. It was unfair that Yixing would otherwise be unable to participate in the local coffee culture due to a language barrier. They had worked too hard to mess this up.

“Drink well,” Kyungsoo instructed. “You look very tired.”

“I’m not so tired,” Yixing refuted. “It’s mostly the drugs.”

“ _Shh **!**_ ” Kyungsoo hissed. Yixing latched his lips shut tight. Kyungsoo did not want anyone to misinterpret his words. He was on painkillers (and a slightly less retail painkiller, but Kyungsoo did not judge), and he did not want anyone to think Yixing was some kind of addict.

Yixing nodded to the counter. “You talk to Jongin?”

Kyungsoo shook his head. “Not really. I talk to him sometimes, but never this often.”

Yixing smirked at batted his eyelashes. “He likes you.”

Kyungsoo bit his tongue to resist giggling. He bashfully smiled back and gave Yixing a small shove. “Shut up, or I’ll hurt you.”

“You already hurt me… you hurt my feelings.”

That earned Yixing a proper giggle and another shove.

When the two boys stood up to leave, Kyungsoo was slightly disappointed that Jongin was paying no attention to them, and that was only because he felt he had no right to be _very_ disappointed. Jongin had no reason to notice them. He was doing his job. Kyungsoo left quietly so as to not be a disturbance.

-♡-

Wednesday is a weird sort of day. It has no set point in time, because it feels like the middle of the week for some people, but for not those who have class on Saturday. Naps do nothing for the overworked brain at this point except confuse the poor thing even more. You are suspended in a dyadic state of not there yet and too far in. Jongin already had to deal with Chanyeol. The boy asked him for a simple, non-threatening dessert, one that said ‘sorry for breaking your kitchen’, and nothing that resembled a donut for personal reasons. Wednesday does not exist on the physical plane of existence – we only name it in hopes of conceptualizing its awesomeness.

Jongin decided to take his break inside the café. He sat down at a table with a cup of tea, his notes, and his tablet, organizing ideas for his Philosophy of Dance essay. Kyungsoo had not come into the shop for a few days, and it did not look like he would be coming in today either, so Jongin thought he should direct his energy somewhere it was needed. It was much easier to communicate his angst through physical dance, but he listened to enough kpop and Ne-Yo to bullshit linguistic sentiment. It was actually going quite well.

“Uhm, hi.”

Jongin jolted in his seat and looked up to see Kyungsoo standing at his table. It was, past tense, actually going quite well.

Jongin swallowed dryly. “Hi.”

Kyungsoo stuck one hand into his coat pocket. The other held a cup. It was not too cold out, but Jongin figured the light coat was probably just for fashion. It looked good. Kyungsoo looked good. To avoid getting carried away in his head, Jongin had to remind himself that Kyungsoo’s boyfriend probably thought he looked good too. Yeah, that anchored him. He waited patiently for Kyungsoo to respond.

Kyungsoo asked, “Do you mind if I sit?”

Wednesday is truly a marvelous enigma. Jongin blinked owlishly, and then gestured to the empty seat, welcoming Kyungsoo to take it. Kyungsoo delicately lowered himself into the chair. Why was he being hesitant? Was he nervous? Jongin braced himself to be reprimanded for staring at Yixing. Surely Kyungsoo had _something_ to tell him.

Kyungsoo asked, “Are you busy?”

Jongin shook his head. “I’m just organizing my work. I’m not deep in thought. Do you need to tell me something?”

Kyungsoo shook his head. “I just… I thought maybe we could talk?”

That was more like what he thought. Jongin hung his head. Kyungsoo had that gentle parent voice on, the one that said, ‘I’m not mad, just disappointed’. Jongin was ashamed of himself. “Sure,” he mumbled.

A moment passed in silence before Kyungsoo said, “Really, I don’t have to stay if you don’t want to talk to me…”

“No, just get it over with,” Jongin said with a sigh. Bravely, he uncurled and leaned back in his chair.

Kyungsoo frowned and looked down at his drink. “Are you upset with me?”

Jongin took a moment to buffer. His brain rejected the question for a solid minute. Then, he leaned forward in his chair, intent on finding a rational explanation for why his brain thought Kyungsoo actually wanted to have a casual conversation. “What?”

“You sound like you don’t want to talk to me,” Kyungsoo continued. “Did I do something?”

With wide eyes, Jongin took a deep breath and let it out. So Kyungsoo was not there to tell Jongin off. This was surprising. “No, I do want to talk to you. Sorry, you just caught me off guard.”

Kyungsoo raised his eyebrows. “So we can talk?”

“Absolutely,” Jongin said. His tone was light and welcoming with not a hint of reservation ( _down boy_ ). Kyungsoo’s lips tugged marginally upward at the corners. It was actually going quite well.

They reviewed everything they knew so far about each other to solidify the foundation of their current relationship. Then they moved past academic majors and mutual friends. They talked about interests and hobbies, work, and favourite things such as food and music. He did not mention Yixing, and thankfully, Kyungsoo did not mention Yixing either.

Through talking about their college experience so far, they realized they both witnessed the iconic moment in which Baekhyun pole danced at Moon Taeil’s 19th birthday party. It was a valiant effort, anyhow. Baekhyun definitely compensated for his lack of talent with glitter – _so much glitter._ Why did Taeil’s cousin even have all that glitter in her house? It became an infamous school mystery.

Jongin remembered that night. He and Kyungsoo had talked, but Jongin had mostly been avoiding him due to nerves, and Kyungsoo had not made an effort to hold a conversation. It seemed like Kyungsoo never wanted to hold a conversation with him. Jongin tried not to let that discourage him – Kyungsoo obviously wanted to talk to him now.

“What were you doing there?” Jongin asked through his laughter.

“Taeil is vocal major, and a friend of mine,” Kyungsoo said. “We’re not close, but I had a free night.”

“Taeil’s friend Taeyong is a dance major and a friend of mine,” Jongin explained. “Also, Minseok is my friend, and he practically adopted Taeyong’s whole crew.”

“I know Minseok too… how do we know everyone but each other?” Kyungsoo asked through a smile. His eyes glittered with something ambiguous, something like excitement or curiosity.

It was probably because Kyungsoo never let him get closer, but Jongin simply shrugged. “We kind of know each other. I knew you before, anyway.”

And now Kyungsoo had a boyfriend, which meant this conversation was too little too late. Again, Jongin tried to not feel discouraged, because the fact that Kyungsoo walked in and asked to talk meant something. It had to mean something.

Kyungsoo shyly smiled and looked down at his beverage. He had been drinking it throughout their conversation, so Jongin figured it must have been depleted. “Would you like another coffee?”

Kyungsoo did not look up. He still looked shy. “No, it’s fine. This was just milk tea, actually.”

“Would you like a coffee? I could make you something.”

“No, no, it’s fine, you shouldn’t do that just for me.”

“Well,” Jongin giggled, “it is my job. I do work here.”

Kyungsoo’s smile curved into a smirk. “You’re on break, though.”

Jongin laughed again. “Not anymore.” He closed his tablet and collected his homework. His break was just about over.

Kyungsoo looked up at the sound of movement. “Oh… sorry, I didn’t mean to take up all of your time.”

Jongin just beamed at him fondly. “No, don’t apologize. Thank you for doing that. It was way better than organizing an essay.”

“What will you do about the essay?”

Jongin shrugged. “Wing it? Besides, it’s not due until Friday. I can still organize tonight, or early this morning, or whenever. Same as everyone.” Kyungsoo did not respond. “Really, let me make you a coffee,” Jongin said. “We can get really extra with the flavours and see if you like it.”

Kyungsoo shrugged. “I’m not a very fancy person.”

“It’s just a test run. On the house.”

If Minseok found out, they both knew he would not mind. Kyungsoo finally agreed. Jongin bounced into the backroom to store his items, then got to work on concocting the most elaborate drink he could still deem edible. He took pointers from Kyungsoo, adding chocolate powder, vanilla, boba, and freshly crushed coffee beans as instructed. Along with every fruit syrup they had, Jongin threw in a few whole raspberries, for texture. He capped it off and scribbled Kyungsoo’s name across the cup in the best handwriting he could manage.

When Kyungsoo tasted their Monster, his nose scrunched up. He gagged and coughed. Jongin burst into laughter. “So it’s good?”

“I don’t know if it’s sweet or bitter,” Kyungsoo smacked his lips. “We could probably donate this to science.”

It was too hard to hold back his laughter, no matter how obnoxious and ugly it sounded in Jongin’s ears. Thankfully, Kyungsoo did not look too put off by it. On the contrary, he seemed amused. “At least there it would be useful, since I assume you won’t be drinking it.”

Kyungsoo shook his head. “Oh no, I was never going to drink it. I’m giving it to Chanyeol as a gift.”

Jongin did not ask what happened between Chanyeol and Kyungsoo. He preferred the mystery of it all. Jongin and Kyungsoo shared another tender moment of eye contact before Kyungsoo blinked, looked down, and gave Jongin a wave. Jongin bid him farewell. Kyungsoo left with a lingering smile. Jongin was left in a happy daze.

“What are you staring at?” Yuta asked, trying to see what was so interesting beyond the window. Kyungsoo had long since vacated the premises, but Jongin just held his chin in his palm, contentedly wading in the memory. “It is truly Wednesday,” Yuta sighed, and carried on his business.

-♡-

Kyungsoo gracefully floated down to rest upon his mattress, swaddling himself in his blanket. He waited for his friends to ask the question.

Jongdae smirked down at him from where he sat against Kyungsoo’s headboard. “How’d it go?”

Kyungsoo broke into a wide smile. “It went well.”

“Yeaaah!” Yixing cheered from his seat on the floor pillow, flashing a dimpled grin. “I told you!”

Kyungsoo just tried to keep his face somewhat obscured by his blanket. Yixing was making him blush.

“Ugh – what the…” Chanyeol voiced his displeasure from the couch. He smacked his lips, staring at the cup of ‘coffee’ with a scrunched, offended expression. “What is this?”

Kyungsoo ignored him. “Do you think he could really like me?”

“Of course!” Baekhyun sang. “I see how he gets at work when you’re around, he’s all dazed and lovestruck, getting orders wrong, breaking shit...” Baekhyun, at Chanyeol’s prodding, took a sip of the drink. “ _Agh!_ Oh my…” he coughed, “What the fuck?”

“I don’t know why it’s taking you so long to ask him out,” Jongdae said. “Did you even get his number?”

Chanyeol took the cup back and took another sip. He sputtered again and shook his head. He offered the cup to Yixing, who politely declined with a wave of his hand.

“Ah, no…” Kyungsoo responded to Jongdae. “I forgot to ask. I got caught up in the moment, I guess.”

“He’s going to think you don’t want his number, you know,” Jongdae warned. “You’re giving mixed signals.”

“We can’t all be as straight-forward as Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo grumbled. He shot a glare to the boy who was practically lying on top of Chanyeol’s body. Chanyeol either did not notice or did not mind. Relationship goals.

“You can do it, Kyungsoo,” Yixing encouraged. “Next time, I will leave you two alone. You will ask him.”

“Or you can just date Yixing,” Jongdae tittered. “Since you two get along so well.”

Kyungsoo giggled and gave Jongdae a shove. Yixing giggled from his place on the floor. Date Yixing? Maybe one day, if they were both interested. For now, both boys were interested in someone else, and his friends were right – Kyungsoo had to get his man.

Chanyeol distantly mused, “You know, once you get passed the taste of chemicals… it’s not so bad,” and Baekhyun distantly scolded, “Stop drinking that, and stop giving Kyungsoo reasons to kill you.”

-♡-

Jongin flopped backwards onto Krystal’s bed. “He is playing with my heart.”

Krystal scooped ice cream into her mouth, not taking her eyes off the cartoon on television. “Is he trying to seduce you?” She placed the tub of ice cream on Jongin’s stomach.

Jongin sighed and sat up to lean against the bedframe. He scooped a spoonful of the healing dessert into his mouth. “No, but he’s doing it anyway.”

“What a floozy,” Krystal deadpanned.

Jongin grumbled, “Why don’t you care? Why don’t you love me?”

“Me loving you and me caring are two very different things,” Krystal said. “Even though I cannot bring myself to care, I still love you.”

Taemin had the same reaction. Jongin needed better friends. He let out a long-suffering groan. “Why does Yixing have to be so handsome?”

“Luck of the genetics, I’m afraid,” she responded. “However, you don’t actually _know_ they’re dating. They could be just friends with benefits.”

Jongin sighed. “Hope is a cruel mistress.”

“Oh yeah, how’s the philosophy paper going?”

“Fine.”

Krystal asked, “Why don’t you just date Taemin?”

“Because he’s my best friend,” Jongin replied, “I’m not interested. And because I don’t feel like fighting off all four of his boyfriends to get to him.”

“What about Sehun?” Krystal suggested. “I bet you could take Luhan. He is gentle, like a deer.”

“Not interested.”

“I bet _I_ could take Luhan.”

“Not interested in Sehun,” Jongin concluded. He did appreciate the offer though. Maybe Krystal was not _so_ bad. He passed her the ice cream. “Please don’t fight Luhan.”

“Whatever you want, man. I just know you deserve someone who is going to treat you right, not keep you around as a side piece. He can’t just sip on a macchiato when the Chai tea gets cold.”

Jongin stared at her in shock. Krystal obliviously ate a spoonful of ice cream. When she passed the tub back to Jongin, she noticed his eyes on her. “What?”

“Why is that the best dating advice I’ve ever gotten?”

Krystal nonchalantly shrugged. “I’m a genius. That’s how I knew you needed ice cream and cartoons. Eat well.”

Okay, fine, Krystal was an okay friend, but Jongin would never admit that out loud. They sat side-by-side, just being good friends, comfortable and domestic. Hmm… this was quite domestic. Almost intimately so. Almost as if they could be dating, or at least, get away with people thinking they were.

“Hey, Krystal,” Jongin started, “you ever considered acting?”

-♡-

It was surprisingly easy to flirt with Krystal. The two were used to being affectionate and teasing each other, so really, the only thing that changed was the conspicuity of their actions. As soon as Jongin pitched the plan to make Kyungsoo jealous, Krystal was on board. She just made him promise that this was simply for revenge and not an attempt to homewreck. Jongin assured her that he was petty, but not _that_ petty. However, he made sure to point out that he had no control over Kyungsoo’s decision to remain with Yixing after this. Krystal agreed that was a fair point.

At first Sehun found their interactions funny, but as the day went on, and Kyungsoo was more likely to show up at any moment, the novelty wore off. When Jongin swiped milk foam on Krystal’s cheek and Krystal retaliated by swiping caramel on Jongin’s cheek, Sehun just looked uncomfortable. When Krystal licked her thumb and used it to clean Jongin’s face, Sehun gagged.

Jongin could not help but empathize. “Is this necessary?” He laughed.

“Mhm,” Krystal said. The café door opened. “And that’s why.”

Kyungsoo had walked in with Yixing in tow. Oh – good call. Jongin sent Krystal a look of reverence, which Krystal humbly accepted. She pat his cheek before leaving him to his work.

Kyungsoo stalled in his place, staring at Jongin with wide eyes. Jongin beamed and waved him over. Yixing gently pushed Kyungsoo from behind, guiding him towards the counter. Jongin hated how cute they were. Krystal did not help Jongin move around like that. None of Jongin’s lovers ever had. His petty revenge high was quickly wearing off.

“Hey,” Jongin greeted when they got to the counter. Yixing lazily wrapped his arms around Kyungsoo’s stomach. His eyes were not even open today. Was he genuinely asleep this time?

Stiffly, Kyungsoo replied, “Hi…” His eyes flicked over to where Krystal was refilling the syrup bottles, then back. “What’s new?”

“On the menu? Nothing, but the mini pies are the treat of the day, so if you get one with your drink it’s only 1800 won.”

“I mean…” Kyungsoo’s voice was restrained, “new with you.”

Instinctively, Jongin looked at Krystal. Krystal, who apparently had been keeping an eye on the encounter, looked back at Jongin. She blew a kiss. Jongin sighed, smiled, and turned back around, shaking his head. “Nothing really.”

Kyungsoo blinked. “Oh.” He curled his fingers around Yixing’s wrists. Yixing, eyes still closed, responded by placing a tiny kiss on Kyungsoo’s head. Kyungsoo sighed and loosened his grip. Jongin’s heart clenched in his chest. Really, why were they so cute? What gave them the right? Kyungsoo robotically ordered their drinks, and Jongin robotically rang him up. Yixing stepped to the side and murmured something that Jongin could not hear.

“What?” Kyungsoo asked, turning to look at Yixing.

“Jagi!” the boy said loudly, pointing behind him to an empty table. That earned them a few stares. Jongin, however, averted his gaze. His heart had clenched before, but now, it dropped into the pit of his stomach. Kyungsoo just sighed and let Yixing go save them a table. Yixing waddled off like an innocent zombie penguin and claimed his seat.

Kyungsoo looked at Jongin. Jongin looked at Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo just shook his head, took his change, and walked to the end of the counter to wait for his drinks and pie of the day.

Jongin had tried his best to help, but he was destructive even when he was not heartbroken, and he ended up crushing the pie in his fist. Sehun and Krystal both suggested he take a break.

“My offer is still on the table,” Krystal said. “Seriously, Luhan is not even a threat, it’ll be easy. Just hit him with the good ol’ one-two punch and he’s out.”

“What about Luhan?” Sehun called from the coffee machine.

Jongin ignored him, denied Krystal’s offer again, and trudged to the backroom to sulk.

-♡-

“Here you go, Kyungsoo,” Krystal gave him his order with a kind smile. Kyungsoo returned the expression. He had no reason to be upset with her. He did not think she and Jongin were anything more than friends – he just did not get that vibe – but even if they were together, that was their business. Kyungsoo was just sad he could not be the one blowing Jongin kisses and cleaning his cheeks.

He brought the food and coffee back to Yixing. The poor mooncake had dozed off while waiting. He tapped the boy’s arm to rouse him. Yixing woke up with a sharp inhale and a confused pout overtaking his lips. When he saw the coffee and treat, his lips pursed into a neutral, contented line.

Kyungsoo sat at the table. “Yixing, I know you’re tired, and I know learning a new language is difficult, but this is something you cannot mess up.”

Yixing’s eyes widened. “Did I say something wrong?”

“You got the words ‘seat’ and ‘jagi’ confused,” Kyungsoo explained. “This,” he tapped the seat to reference to it, “is a ‘ _jari_ ’, and you said ‘ _jagi_ ’, which is a word you call your… sweetheart.”

Yixing nodded with his lips in a plump, fascinated ‘o’ shape. “Ohhh…” his mouth suddenly dropped in shock. “I’m so sorry, Kyungsoo, I embarrassed you.”

“No,” Kyungsoo resolutely confuted, “no, you did not. It’s fine. No one here cares anyway, and if they do, it doesn’t matter to me.” At least Yixing did not say _jaji._

Yixing’s lips stretched into a fond, lazy grin. “You talked to Jongin?” he asked.

Kyungsoo exhaled a deep breath. “It didn’t seem like the right time. I’m working on it.”

Yixing placed his hand atop Kyungsoo’s. “I believe in you.” Kyungsoo gratefully smiled at him.

-♡-

“How’s it going with Kyungsoo?” Baekhyun asked over the phone. “He talked about you in class again today. I think he really likes you.”

“Yeah, no, he really doesn’t,” Jongin said. “He really likes his boyfriend, Yixing, so to answer your question, things are terrible, thanks for checking in.”

“His what?” Baekhyun asked. “Uh, Jongin, Kyungsoo is a very good friend of mine, and he never mentioned dating Yixing.”

“How can you not tell?” Jongin asked. He flopped on his bed, opening his laptop.

“Uhm, well… I guess they are affectionate, but Yixing is kind of just like that? He has a thing with butt-grabbing too.”

“I know, I witnessed it,” Jongin deadpanned, “and I relive it in my nightmares.”

“Huh, they weren’t dating last week, but if you’re sure… maybe they’re just not out yet.”

“Is it Facebook official?” Jongin asked.

“I don’t know, I haven’t checked,” Baekhyun said.

“Can you give me your email and password? His account is friends only.” Jongin should have asked to add him. He could send a request, but doing it out of the blue seemed weird now. Jongin did not want Kyungsoo to know he was interested, or at least, not yet. Kyungsoo did not deserve the satisfaction.

Baekhyun relayed the information, and Jongin thanked him for his friendship. Baekhyun wished him luck. Jongin signed in and hung up the phone.

He quickly moved along to the purpose of his hacking and discovered there was not much to stalk. Kyungsoo’s profile was pretty basic in terms of photos and statuses. He did have a picture of him and Yixing together at the coffee shop, though. Jongin remembered that day. Kyungsoo and Yixing had ordered macchiatos. Kyungsoo had taken the selfie, and he leaned close to Yixing who smiled at the camera with his signature half-lidded eyes. Jongin remembered how adorable they had looked. Ugh.

Kyungsoo did not have a lot of information up either. There was nothing listed in his relationships section, except a bunch of actual family members. Oh, maybe that was why Kyungsoo was not out online – he could have a problem with bigotry in his family. Jongin’s heart ached for him. His immediate family was supportive, but there were always those people who would never open their minds, and insignificant as they were, it still hurt.

Jongin was strangely humbled as he logged off. It woke him up to the reality of their situation. Jongin did not know their life. Jongin should not be making things harder for them with his angst. He decided that he should really just stay in his lane and leave the two alone, no matter how much his heart longed to be a paramour. All three of them deserved better.

-♡-

True to his word, the next time the two entered the café, Jongin was professional and kind. Kyungsoo’s smile for Jongin was soft and easygoing, and Jongin decided leaving them be was worth it. The title of ‘friends’ was truly a blessing and a curse.

All those repressed feelings had to go somewhere though, and they ended up buried deep in Jongin’s chest.

“How are you… you know, coping?” Sehun asked.

The feelings were deep down enough to mask on the surface, but not deep enough to keep under control. When Sehun stirred them up, they spilled out against Jongin’s will.

“I don’t get what he sees in that guy,” he grumbled, opening a box of new cups with more aggression than necessary.

Sehun snorted. “You mean other than his talent, kindness, and ridiculously handsome face?”

Jongin slammed the cups onto the counter. Sehun was not funny at all.

“Sorry,” Sehun giggled. “Actually…” his tone dropped to something more serious. He sounded pensive. “I kind of see what you mean. Honestly, I don’t think they’re in a serious relationship.”

That caught Jongin’s interest. His icy bitchface melted into something more inviting. “Oh? Really?” he asked. Sehun shrugged. “Why?”

“I don’t know…” Sehun’s nose scrunched a little as he pondered. “Don’t you think Yixing is a little… I don’t know, dim? He always looks lost.”

Jongin could have defended Yixing here and reminded Sehun that the Chinese boy was a foreigner, so maybe he really did feel lost, but what had Yixing ever done for him? “Yeah, I guess,” he replied.

“And Kyungsoo is really professional, he seems smart,” Sehun continued. “So… don’t you think he would be attracted to someone with a little more… uhm… brain cells?”

Jongin snorted a laugh. Amber, like a bumblebee to pollen, was drawn over by the happy noise. “What are you talking about?” she asked.

Jongin’s hands fumbled on a cup and it dropped to the floor. He bent down to retrieve it. “We’re talking about the idiot that – ouch,” Jongin grumbled as Sehun kicked him, “the idiot that Kyungsoo drags around,” he finished as he stood up. He glared at Sehun. “What was that for?”

Amber was stunned silent, and Sehun was hanging his head. He weakly gestured his head to the left. Jongin looked over. He locked eyes with Kyungsoo who had come up to the counter. 

His heart stopped, his face paled. He could see the fire ignite in the smaller man’s eyes, could see how his expression shifted from shocked to furious. Jongin would kick himself if he could move.

“Are you stupid?” Kyungsoo growled, but kept his voice quiet to not make a scene. Jongin shrunk into himself and hunched his shoulders. Oh God, yes, he was stupid, he was a fucking _moron_. “Are you honestly shit talking a person sitting _right_ over there? A person you don’t even know?”

Kyungsoo gave Jongin no time to defend himself, not that Jongin could defend himself anyway. “Don’t you dare assume you know anything about Yixing! And you obviously don’t know anything about me, if you think I have to drag him around. I ask him to come with me. He is very smart, so you…”

Kyungsoo’s breath caught in his throat. Jongin had tears in his eyes, but he forced himself to hold them back. Kyungsoo sighed out the air in his lungs. His voice dropped to a low hum, nearly incoherent, as he said, “You can go fuck yourself.”

He shook his head, and Jongin did not know why Kyungsoo looked like he just lost someone, but his expression was sad, bordering on heartbroken. Jongin hastened to apologize, but Kyungsoo just walked back to his table. He grabbed Yixing by his coat and pulled him outside. Yixing tripped over his feet twice, and despite his general wooziness, Yixing usually moved with poise, so Kyungsoo’s pull must have been rough.

Jongin wanted to die. Sehun looked like he wanted to die. Amber had busied herself with the new customers, and the happy tone she used to greet them was strained and shaky. Jongin rubbed his hands over his face and muttered out, “I’m on break.” No one protested.

Sometime later, after Jongin had stopped crying, Taemin entered the backroom, probably called in by Sehun. He wrapped Jongin up in a hug. “Do you want one of my boyfriends?” Taemin offered. “I’m running out of jars to keep them in.”

Jongin declined but laughed at the joke. Maybe Taemin was an okay friend too.

-♡-

Kyungsoo was absolutely fuming as he walked Yixing home. His anger mixed with his heartbreak was a deadly combination, so he kept his mouth latched shut to spare Yixing the brunt of his venom.

“Hey,” Yixing said once they were a block away from the coffee shop. “Thanks for defending me.”

Kyungsoo raised his eyebrows. “You understood that?”

“I did not hear them, but I heard you,” Yixing nodded. “Enough to know you fought for me. Thank you.”

“You have nothing to thank me for,” Kyungsoo spoke through gritted teeth. “They were rude.”

“Still, you like Jongin, so you were brave,” Yixing said. He patted Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “A real man.”

Yixing had the power to depress even Chanyeol, but when he was happy, his happiness was infectious. Kyungsoo was just too upset to appreciate him. “I liked him…” Kyungsoo lamented, “before I learned what a jerk he is.” He had told Jongin to go fuck himself because Kyungsoo was definitely not offering to do it for him anymore, not after that.

Yixing asked, tentatively, “What did he say?”

Kyungsoo cringed inwardly. “The same thing everyone says. He thinks you’re stupid.” Yixing nodded and hung his head. Kyungsoo firmly said, “You’re not stupid. They don’t know that your painkillers make you woozy, and they don’t know how hard you work. They don’t know you.”

Yixing’s lips pulled into a smile. He placed a tiny kiss on Kyungsoo’s hair. “Thanks, jaji.”

Kyungsoo sighed. “It’s ‘ _jagi_ ’, and that should really only be used for couples, hyung. You can call me chingu, if you want.”

Yixing raised his eyebrows. “You said I can’t call you that. Do you mean ‘ _chimgu_ ’? Like, for a bed? Are you asking me to be your lover?”

Kyungsoo giggled at the sheer irony of Yixing’s accusation. “No, I mean chingu. We can make an exception.”

He nudged Yixing to keep walking with him. Yixing happily linked their arms as they went home.

-♡-

Kyungsoo did not come into the coffee shop for the next week. Jongin was losing hope he would ever come in again. Minseok was far more understanding than he should be about losing Kyungsoo and Yixing’s business, especially when the boys were both his friends. Jongin’s friends were all being kinder to him than he deserved, even Zitao, whom Jongin had come to depend on for the occasional ego check. He thought he deserved more punishment. He was doomed to self-perpetuate his own suffering.

On Friday evening, much later than his usual time, Yixing showed up. It caught Jongin off guard. When Yixing greeted him, Jongin could barely bow and stutter out a hello.

“Can we talk?” Yixing asked.

This is the reprimanding Jongin had expected. He nodded, and he led Yixing to a table near the back of the café. They both sat down, and Yixing clasped his hands together and smiled. Wait, Yixing _smiled_? Something was wrong here.

It was then Jongin noticed the silver band around Yixing’s ring finger. Oh… yeah, this was more like the punishment he thought he deserved.

“Jongin, don’t be sad,” Yixing said. His voice was sweet and comforting. “I’m not upset with you. I know what people think of me. The truth is, I am on painkillers. They make me drowsy. I study dance, and I work at a dance studio. I don’t practice Korean too much. I am always tired.”

Jongin’s lips parted in surprise. “Oh…”

“Yes,” Yixing nodded. “I don’t like to talk about my medication, and I don’t want people to know, but I trust you. Please do not tell anyone.”

“You trust me?” Jongin asked. Was it Wednesday today and the universe got its dates confused?

Yixing nodded. “Yes, I think you are a good guy. No bad feelings.”

Jongin smiled despite himself. Wow, Yixing was really perfect. There was no way anyone could treat Kyungsoo better. “I’m really sorry about what I said. I just… I had my heart broken that day. I was in a bad mood. I would have never guessed…” Jongin did not know how to communicate his surprise in as little words as possible. He never even considered any non-judgmental possibilities. He was blinded by his envy.

Yixing gasped and frowned. “That person doesn’t know what they’re missing!”

 _It doesn’t matter what they’re missing,_ Jongin said in his mind, _because they have you._ He just smiled in return. “I did not know you. You are strong.”

Yixing bowed and thanked him.

Jongin pointed to the ring. “Congratulations,” he said.

Yixing’s expression broke into a huge smile. “Ah, thank you! Kyungsoo says I am going too fast, but I am in love! We have to live in the moment, you know? I don’t want to have regrets.”

Jongin could understand what Yixing wanted to say for the most part. His Korean was not bad when you really paid attention, albeit he could work on pronunciation a little more. “I’m so happy for you,” he said, dead inside.

“Thank you,” Yixing said again. He reached out his hand. “Are we okay?”

This boy was ethereal and too good for this world. Jongin nodded and shook Yixing’s hand without hesitation. “Okay,” he confirmed.

“Ah, great, please visit Kyungsoo,” he said. “He is so depressed.”

Depressed? How could he be depressed when he just got engaged? Jongin asked, “Because of me?” Yixing nodded. Jongin groaned and hid his face in his hands. “I really messed up.”

“It’s okay,” he confirmed. Yixing’s tone truly made Jongin believe that the world was on his side and he could do anything. It was okay because Yixing said it was okay. He wondered if Yixing had some kind of happiness superpower.

“Okay,” Jongin said, “do you have his address?”

Yixing smiled and typed out the address on Jongin’s phone. Jongin recognized the street. He helped Yixing with his spelling error in Kyungsoo’s name, and Yixing thanked him wholeheartedly. The Chinese boy was so easy to fall in love with, he did not blame Kyungsoo at all for marrying him. Those two perfect people belonged together. Jongin would be cheering them on in the front pew at their future wedding.

-♡-

The nerves almost convinced Jongin to stay home, but he knew he had to do this for Yixing’s sake. Kyungsoo was depressed because of Jongin, and Yixing deserved better in this time of celebration. So, he buzzed into Kyungsoo’s apartment, Zitao granted him entry, and Jongin willed all his strength into his fist and knocked on Kyungsoo’s door.

Zitao answered the door, quickly slipping out of the apartment. “Good luck,” he said, and left down the hall. Oh boy.

Jongin stepped into the apartment and closed the door behind him. “Tao?” Kyungsoo’s voice called. “Who was it?”

Jongin cleared his throat. “Uh, it’s me, Jongin.”

There was silence for a moment. Then, Kyungsoo walked out from the kitchen in a t-shirt and sweatpants. His eyes looked tired. He still looked so beautiful.

“What do you want?” he asked.

Jongin looked down at his shoes. “Yixing came to the café and I apologized to him,” Jongin said. “He said there’s no hard feelings, but that I should apologize to you. I didn’t mean to upset you, and I’m sorry. I was just…” Jongin mumbled, “hurt.”

Kyungsoo mulled over that apology. “Take it out on someone who deserves it next time.”

Jongin nodded. He did not know how he could express his sorrow any clearer. “I want to be your friend.” Not really, but that was better than nothing.

Kyungsoo was silent again. “I don’t want to be your friend,” he said, “but I don’t know how I feel about you at all anymore.”

Jongin looked up. Kyungsoo’s expression was unreadable. Boldly, he stepped forward, and he was grateful for his strong thighs, because if not for their stability, he would have stumbled. “Please,” he said softly. “Hyung, give me another chance. I will show you I’m not like that. I was just hurt.”

Kyungsoo took a deep breath in, then let it out. Silence enveloped the room for another minute before Kyungsoo sliced through it with a simple, “Okay.”

Jongin smiled. Wow, that felt better than he thought it would. His happiness was amplified tenfold when Kyungsoo smiled back.

Kyungsoo shyly looked at the floor. “So, uh, did Yixing tell you anything else while he was there?”

Wow, that happiness was short-lived. His smile faltered. “Uhm, yes, he did. I’m so happy for you guys.”

Kyungsoo laughed. “Ah, he told you about how he convinced me? Thanks. I told him it was all too fast, but… he’s really happy, so I had to give in.”

Jongin nodded. Kyungsoo then said, “So, will you… be my date to the wedding? I know it’s not for a while, but we need time to put some money together for the flight to China and the wedding gift.”

Jongin’s head went blank. He idled, buffered, and the page in his brain crashed for good. “What?”

Kyungsoo raised his eyebrows. “Uh… will you be my date to Yixing’s wedding?”

Jongin felt dizzy. He leaned on the wall for support. “Woah, woah,” he said, holding up a hand. “Just… hold on. Why are you asking me to take you to your own wedding?”

Kyungsoo’s eyes blew open to an impossibly large size, and his lips parted in shock. He stopped moving completely, might have even stopped breathing. “My own _what_?”

It was then Jongin noticed Kyungsoo’s ring finger was bare. “You’re not getting married to Yixing?!” Jongin demanded.

“ _Married **?!**_ ” Kyungsoo shouted back. “We’re not even _dating!_ ”

Jongin truly had to sit down after that one. The two made their way on wobbly ankles to sit on Kyungsoo’s couch. It was small, and the two were forced incredibly close in proximity. It took a while to get comfortable enough to look at each other. The bed was not an alternate seating option.

“So…” Jongin spoke tentatively, “You and Yixing are _not_ together.”

“No, we are not,” Kyungsoo confirmed, and his eyes were earnest. “Did you think we were?”

“Yes,” Jongin said, holding eye contact. “Please explain why he calls you jagi.”

Kyungsoo swallowed with a dry click. “He meant to say _‘jari’_. He told me he was going to save us a seat.”

Incredible. “And the kissing?”

“He’s affectionate, he does that to everyone. And it was only on my head.”

“And the butt-grabbing?”

“I don’t know. He’s affectionate.”

Jongin took a moment to process that. “So, who is he marrying?”

“His girlfriend from China,” Kyungsoo said. “They broke up when Yixing moved here two years ago, but he stayed in love with her. She flew out last week to visit and they got engaged. He asked me to be a part of the groom’s party. I told him it was too soon, and I didn’t want him to go through with this, but he convinced me to accept it.”

There was nothing that could be said to that. “Can we start over? Now that I know you’re single?”

The blank look on Kyungsoo’s face persisted a moment longer before his lips pulled into a small smile. “Sure,” he said. “Should we go on a date?”

Jongin laughed lightheartedly. “How about we get some coffee?”

They decided Kyungsoo’s coffeemaker would suffice since neither of them felt like leaving the apartment. In Kyungsoo’s kitchen, they prepared the drinks. When Jongin asked about the mysterious black stain on the floor and hole in the wall, Kyungsoo told him to drop the subject or there would be consequences. Jongin believed him and obeyed, quietly stirring his coffee. He did not like coffee that much, but he owed a big part of his life to it, so he supposed this was fine.

“Would you like a muffin?” Kyungsoo asked. “Chanyeol made them, but I helped, so they’re safe to eat.”

The mystery of Chanyeol and Kyungsoo’s relationship continued to amuse him. Jongin giggled. “Oh… yes please.”

Kyungsoo fetched a muffin from the container on the counter. They were sloppily frosted, but that added to the charm. Never one for etiquette, Jongin took a big bite. He felt a bit of frosting stick to his cheek.

Kyungsoo stared at him. Jongin got a little insecure. He reached up to try and clean his face, but Kyungsoo reached out to gently grab his wrist and lower it. Jongin’s heart rate sped up. Kyungsoo, with his own thumb, wiped Jongin’s cheek clean.

Did that just happen? For real? With a person he actually liked? He panicked. “I used Krystal to make you jealous because you and Yixing kept being adorable.” Jongin’s mind raced and the words fell off his tongue before he could stop them.

Kyungsoo paused. He said, “It worked.”

Jongin swallowed the rest of his muffin in a large gulp. Kyungsoo, tentatively, leaned forward. Jongin leaned in with the same amount of caution. Kyungsoo inhaled a breath, and then closed the space, pressing their lips together. Jongin tightened his grip on the coffee cup so as to not drop it, then softly moved his lips against the other man’s coffee-flavoured, heart-shaped plush. When they pulled apart, Kyungsoo’s lips were glossed with a thin layer of frosting.

“My answer is yes,” Jongin said.

“Yes to what?”

“Yes to being your date, for the wedding.”

Kyungsoo smiled brightly. Jongin wanted to raise dogs with that smile. He hoped that, in a few years, Yixing would be taking a date to _their_ wedding. He wrapped an arm around Kyungsoo’s waist and pulled the smaller man close. Kyungsoo, trying to hide a bashful smile, dropped his head to rest on Jongin’s shoulder.

Jongin also thought he owed Yixing a free coffee to apologize for all the hateful energy that had been sent his way, because a _‘Sorry for hoping your relationship would crash and burn!’_ card seemed… excessive and needless at this point.


End file.
